1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tubing expansion, and in particular to expansion of tubing downhole.
2. Description of the Related Art
The oil and gas exploration and production industry is making increasing use of expandable tubing, primarily for use as casing and liner, and also in straddles, and as a support for expandable stand screens. Various forms of expansion tools have been utilised, including expansion dies, cones and mandrels which are pushed or pulled through tubing by mechanical or hydraulic forces. However, these tools require application of significant force to achieve expansion and must be packed with grease to serve as a lubricant between the faces of the cone and the tubing. A number of the difficulties associated with expansion cones and mandrels may be avoided by use of rotary expansion tools, which feature rolling elements for rolling contact with the tubing to be expanded while the tool is rotated and advanced through the tubing; a range of such tools is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,532, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Although the expansion mechanism utilised in rotary expansion tools tends to require only relatively low actuation forces, the various parts of the tools may experience high loading, for example the rollers may experience very high point loads where the roller surfaces contact the tubing under expansion. Clearly, such high loadings increase the rate of wear experienced by the tools and the requirement to build the tools with the ability to withstand such loads tends to increase the cost and complexity of the tools.
GB 2348223 A, GB 2347950 A and GB 2344606 A (Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.) disclose various arrangements in which a tubular member is extruded off a mandrel to expand the member. The axial force necessary to extrude and thus expand the member is achieved by creating an elevated fluid pressure chamber in the tubular member below the mandrel, which pressure creates an axial force on the closed end of the tubular member below the mandrel sufficient to pull the member over the mandrel. The elevated fluid pressure acts only the expanded portion of the tubular member below the mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,608 (Abdrakkhmanov et al) discloses an arrangement for patching off troublesome zones in a well. The arrangement includes profile pipes which are run into a borehole and then subject to elevated internal pressure to straighten the pipes and bring them into engagement with the surrounding wall of the borehole. A reamer is then rotated within the straightened pipes, with an axial load being applied to the reamer. The reamer is utilised to expand the threaded joints of the pipe and to further straighten the pipe, and also to provide clearance between a seal on the reamer and the inner wall of the pipe which was utilised to permit the original fluid pressure induced straightening of the pipe.
It is among the objectives of the present invention to provide an expansion method and apparatus which obviates or mitigates one or more disadvantages of the prior art expansion arrangements.